Lok Sabha elections: Cost skyrockets 80 times since 1952

Wed Apr 09 2014, 13:12 hrs

BJP Lok Sabha candidate Shatrughan Sinha with wife at a temple in Patna. The poll holding exercise has witnessed a whopping jump by 80 times to Rs 846 crore since 1952 when it was mere Rs 10 crore. (PTI)

AAP candidate Gul Panag holding a sword at a Gurudwara during her election campaign in Chandigarh. The entire expenditure on actual conduct of elections to Lok Sabha is borne by the government of India and such expenditure on conduct of election to state legislatures by the respective state governments when such elections are held independently. (PTI)

BJP Candidate Kirron Kher campaigning for Lok Sabha elections in Chandigarh. If concurrent election to Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly is held then such expenditure is shared between central and respective state governments. (PTI)

Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi shows his mark after casting his vote at a polling station in Assam on Monday. A total of Rs 10.45 crore was spent on country's first election in 1952. As many as Rs 846.66 crore was spent during last general elections in 2009, according to data released by the government. (PTI)

Bollywood star and BJP candidate Vinod Khanna during an election campaign in Kathua. The Centre has borne Rs 5.9 crore expenditure incurred on elections in 1957, as against Rs 7.32 crore in 1962 and Rs 10.79 crore in 1967, the data said. About Rs 11.60 crore was spent in 1971, Rs 23.03 crore in 1977, Rs 54.77 crore in 1980 and Rs 81.51 crore for conducting elections during 1984-85, it said. (PTI)